As a therapeutic agent of diabetes, biguanide compounds having, as a main action, an inhibitory action on glucose absorption via the intestinal tract and on glucose release from the liver, sulfonylurea compounds having an accelerating action on insulin secretion as a main action, insulin and the like. have been employed. However, biguanide compounds cause lactic acidosis, and sulfonylurea compounds sometimes cause serious hypoglycemia due to their strong hypoglycemic action. Therefore, a due care should be given when in use of these compounds. In recent years, there have been active researches and developments of a therapeutic agent of diabetes, which is free of these defects, with the consequence that various compounds having an insulin resistance-improving action have been found.
The insulin resistance plays an important role as a cause of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), along with decrease in the insulin secretion. As an agent that improves insulin resistance, various thiazolidine compounds are known. Examples of such compound include 5-[4-[(6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-yl)methoxy]benzyl]-2,4-thiazolidinedione (general name: troglitazone) is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,912 and EP0139421B1, 5-[[4-[2-(5-ethyl-pyridin-2-yl)ethoxy]phenyl]-methyl]-2,4-thiazolidinedione (general name: pioglitazone) is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,777 and EP0193256B1, and 5-[[4-[2-[N-methyl-N-(pyridin-2-yl)amino]ethoxy]phenyl]methyl]-2,4-thiazolidinedione (general name: rosiglitazone) is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,953 and EP0306228B1. However, these pharmaceutical agents that improve insulin resistance may cause side effects such as hepatopathy, retention of fluid, edema, megalocardia, obesity and the like. Thus, the development of a highly safe insulin resistance improver effective for NIDDM has been desired.